Shelter Graffiti

[Wise Old Owl]

If you are really worried about it, you could carry a can of brown spray paint and color over the graffiti with a "natural" color that is easy on the eyes...

With one very stupid exception. If you see paintballed trees, the next rain will remove the color. Do not spray paint as one "idiot" did at Hawk Mountain, It clearly made more work for the trail maintainers.

[emerald]

painting shelters is like swimming against a tide of floating garbage

No, it's more like washing dishes. Everyone knows people are more apt to add a dirty dish to a sink where others have added theirs than to a clean sink.

[Tin Man]

whatever. i never graffitied before, but i might start now.

"Don't write here - so says SOG!"

[emerald]

"Don't write here - so says SOG!"

Speak for yourself!

[Odd Thomas]

the blame rests with those that built the actual trail and shelters. both scars on the land

heh, without the trail and the shelter there'd be no reason to leave it undeveloped into a walmart/bath and beyond parking lot.

[Homer&Marje]

But we can carve our name in the side of the Bed Bath and Beyond right?

[Doctari]

Yea, I don't much like it, still I think it is better to mess up the shelters, instead of the trees & rocks.
I have to say that MY favorite shelter graffiti has to be at the Muskrat shelter, much of it is upside down as the current shelter used the wood from the former "A frame" shelter.

[sherrill]

I went to summer camp at Ridgecrest. Part of the tradition was to write your name and date on the walls of the cabin. It's private property and there were no camp rules against it.

It was pretty cool as a kid to discover names from the 40's, 50, etc, especially from camp "legends", and to go back now and see my name.

I don't stay in shelters so I really don't care. I don't like them. I think if the club or organization that maintains it posts rules against it you should respect that. Otherwise, have at it.

I think defacing rocks and trees, and trash, is much more offensive.

[Lone Wolf]

I think defacing rocks and trees, and trash, is much more offensive.

shelters are offensive all by themselves. you're walkin' along in a beautiful stretch of woods then you start smelling a privy and burning garbage in the fire pit then you see it. ruins the moment

[sherrill]

shelters are offensive all by themselves. you're walkin' along in a beautiful stretch of woods then you start smelling a privy and burning garbage in the fire pit then you see it. ruins the moment

I agree with that.

[Dances with Mice]

I don't stay in shelters so I really don't care. I don't like them. I think if the club or organization that maintains it posts rules against it you should respect that. Otherwise, have at it.

Maintainance clubs don't post rules about vandalism because they like to think most people's mommas raised them right.

Write and draw all you like in shelters. In the journal. That's what it's there for.

[OldStormcrow]

Like I've always said....."if those vandals and visigoths had been using spray paint when they sacked Rome, all of those statues would still have their noses and arms!"

[sherrill]

Maintainance clubs don't post rules about vandalism because they like to think most people's mommas raised them right.

Write and draw all you like in shelters. In the journal. That's what it's there for.

I guess it depends on your definition of vandalism.

[mechanic.mike]

Shelters have always been a trade off. Shelters seem to attract and concentrate the worst habits in one area. Think of how many more fire rings would randomly be found all through the woods or how much more toilet paper would be blowing around on the trail. Think about how these same people would be dumping their garbage along the trail instead of at the shelters fire pit. Is trash at the shelters O.K.? Of course not, but better than all along the trail. If the shelters were not there the people that do not know or do not practice LNT would be spread out all over the place, ruining the atmosphere of the rest of he woods. Shelters help protect the rest of the trail from abuse, notice I said 'help' not eliminate. But at the same time they cause a lot of problems like the graffitti that started this thread. They're condominiums for mice and other rodents. They also seem to attract local partiers hell bent on destroying anything they come across. Some of them and the area around them are real eye sores, but it is still better than it being spread all over the woods and trail.

[hperry]

Shelters have always been a trade off. Shelters seem to attract and concentrate the worst habits in one area. Think of how many more fire rings would randomly be found all through the woods or how much more toilet paper would be blowing around on the trail.

Nope. the type of people who throw trash at the fire pits probably don't evne know how to build a fire. The TP would be so spread out you would not notice it, especially if you consider that far less people would come to the trail if they had not heard of the shelters and prvies.

Think about how these same people would be dumping their garbage along the trail instead of at the shelters fire pit. Is trash at the shelters O.K.? Of course not, but better than all along the trail. If the shelters were not there the people that do not know or do not practice LNT would be spread out all over the place, ruining the atmosphere of the rest of he woods.

Or they might just not come at all. If facilities were not constructed to harbor those with no backcountry skills, then they would flake out once they saw that a gravel road takes you to Springer.

Shelters help protect the rest of the trail from abuse, notice I said 'help' not eliminate.

How does providing refuge for those who destroy the trail help protect the trail from abuse?

[kanga]

Shelters have always been a trade off. Shelters seem to attract and concentrate the worst habits in one area. Think of how many more fire rings would randomly be found all through the woods or how much more toilet paper would be blowing around on the trail. Think about how these same people would be dumping their garbage along the trail instead of at the shelters fire pit. Is trash at the shelters O.K.? Of course not, but better than all along the trail. If the shelters were not there the people that do not know or do not practice LNT would be spread out all over the place, ruining the atmosphere of the rest of he woods. Shelters help protect the rest of the trail from abuse, notice I said 'help' not eliminate. But at the same time they cause a lot of problems like the graffitti that started this thread. They're condominiums for mice and other rodents. They also seem to attract local partiers hell bent on destroying anything they come across. Some of them and the area around them are real eye sores, but it is still better than it being spread all over the woods and trail.

amen

[MoBill122]

Well, we could start a new photo catagory, a sort of " Wall of Shame " Take pictures of all the graffiti and post it online... to shame them.

But then, that would only creat more idiots, who wanted their picture on the wall too, I suspect.

[mechanic.mike]

Nope. the type of people who throw trash at the fire pits probably don't evne know how to build a fire. The TP would be so spread out you would not notice it, especially if you consider that far less people would come to the trail if they had not heard of the shelters and prvies.

So litterbugs don't know how to build fires?
So toilet paper and it's shadow in 100's of places is better than in one concentrated place?

Or they might just not come at all. If facilities were not constructed to harbor those with no backcountry skills, then they would flake out once they saw that a gravel road takes you to Springer.

You will never get rid of those with no backcountry skills, after all we all started out as "rookies" or "newBies". Besides we need people to protect the trail, it is one of those trade offs again. The trail is only protected if you have large numbers of people to protect it. No people equals No Trail. People are the solution and the problem.

How does providing refuge for those who destroy the trail help protect the trail from abuse?

It is not just for those with no backcountry knowledge it is for the mass quantities that will cause wear and tear no matter how well they practice Leave No Trace ethics.

There is a trade off to everything, sometimes also called a compromise.

[Homer&Marje]

Technically, the White Blazes that mark the trail (Or any other color shape or design for other trails) are graffiti as well. How many tons of paint have been added to the trees of our forest, to one day decompose, just so guys like me and WrongWay know where we are going

I'll agree with anyone out there, shelters are not the prettiest, most gorgeous constructed abodes in all the land. BUT. I don't think the graffiti makes it worse. It's like an old car with bumper stickers from head to toe. Sure you don't want it in your driveway, but you laugh and point as it drives by.

Was someone running a sensitivity workshop in another thread I was not aware of? Maybe I am just desensitized. Yea, that's it.

[saimyoji]

it must be great to have so much free time to bicker about something so inconsequential. that flotilla of trash is still out there spinning....